Gender

A monochrome photo of a person with a shaved head looking down in low light, a tattooed teardrop visible near their eye.

Why it matters that trauma affects women and men differently

They are too often ignored, yet sex differences affect the kind of trauma people experience and the effect it has on them

by Klára Hanáková

Photo of four men embracing on a beach at night with colourful lights blurred in the background.
GENDER

Too many men lack close friendships. What’s holding them back?

Some masculine norms are a straightjacket, depriving men of the connections they need. It takes bravery to leave them behind

by Angelica Puzio Ferrara

A man observing a large, lifelike sculpture of an elderly man with a braid on a white gallery wall.

Men’s anxiety about hair loss can have a deeper meaning

As a psychoanalyst, I’ve seen how reflecting on the emotional symbolism of hair loss can be therapeutic for many men

by Tom Wooldridge

A blue sports car and a grey luxury car parked on a city street with people and a Christian Dior shop in the background.
GENDER

The ‘masculinity crisis’ is actually a crisis of self-esteem

There’s a modern belief that talent or effort can carry anyone to the top. It’s a myth that’s especially harmful to men

by Leo Rogers

Black and white photo of a hand holding a scallop shell. The background is blurred and the shell shows detailed texture.

A poetic, sea-soaked tribute to the ‘cockle women’ of Wales

Directed by Lily Tiger

Medieval painting of two figures in a garden, one in pink and the other in red, surrounded by plants and a tree.
MUSIC

Why did bloody knights write love songs about spring blossoms?

The masculinity of medieval knighthood was expansive enough for both graphic violence and the joys of a flower meadow

by Jennifer Saltzstein

A painting of a woman in 18th-century attire with a large hairstyle holding a letter, seated with a dark background.

Menopause was a French invention at a time of revolution

French doctors of the 1800s had a vested interest in pathologising women’s ageing, as do many commercial entities today

by Alison M Downham Moore

A still from the film Miss Congeniality showing the actress Sandra Bullock in a tight-fitting lilac dress walking towards the camera, surrounded by people in pink uniforms.
FILM

From drab to fab – a playful dissection of the Hollywood makeover

Directed by Sue Ding

Photo of a smiling family sitting in a red convertible car parked in front of a suburban house.
GENDER

In more prosperous societies, are men and women more similar?

How much the sexes differ psychologically depends on how fair and wealthy a country is. But not in the way you’d think

by Kåre Hedebrant & Agneta Herlitz

Ancient marble statue of a headless Hermaphroditus, draped lower garment, against a plain background.
GENDER

There is nothing new about gender fluidity and nonconformity

From Mesopotamia and ancient Greece to precolonial India and medieval London, gender has always been more than a binary

by Chris Wheatley

Two puppets in silver spacesuits lie against a starry backdrop, surrounded by makeup items. One puppet has short black hair, the other has bright green hair.

Fatu treks into the glamorous unknown during his first outing in makeup

Directed by Iiti Yli-Harja

A vintage photo showing people dressed in old-fashioned clothing, carrying baskets and bags, walking through a busy outdoor market area.

How the feminist philosopher Helene Stöcker canonised Nietzsche

Despite Nietzsche’s reputation for misogyny, his work inspired a leading women’s rights activist of the early 20th century

by Lydia Moland

Photo of a woman in black clothing on a street near a beauty salon with a colourful sign and a travel agency.

The day the Taliban banned women like me from working

With my daughters’ education cancelled, I thought the regime had done its worst. Then a new message came from my office

by Nargis

Photo of a woman with headphones on a rainy bus, looking thoughtful. Blurred city lights visible outside the window.

Listening in on horror: why many women love true crime podcasts

True crime podcasts turn violence against women into a form of entertainment. Why do so many female listeners enjoy them?

by Amelia Anthony

Photo of a large poster depicting a woman with blonde hair, with a person walking in the foreground.

The cult of being confident and why it doesn’t help women

By making women solely responsible for their own empowerment, the culture of confidence masks the true causes of inequality

by Rosalind Gill & Shani Orgad

Abstract art of nude figures with long hair floating around a large, twisted pink shape on a dark background.

Past trauma bleeds into the bond between one mother and her daughter

A film by Danski Tang